Not as good as we think we are

My problem is not just my lack of character; it is that I can’t even see how badly I lack it. Humans have an almost limitless capacity for self-deception. For instance, psychologists speak of a massive integrity blind spot in human nature called the self-serving bias. We make ourselves the heroes of our stories to exaggerate our role in victories and to absolve ourselves of blame for failure and error.

In one survey, 800,000 high school students were asked whether they were above or below average in social skills. If they were accurate, they should have split 50–50. Want to guess what percentage of students rated themselves as below average? Zero percent! Furthermore, 25 percent of all students rated themselves in the top 1 percent!

This self-serving bias extends to every area. The majority of people in hospitals suffering from crashes that they themselves caused rate themselves as above-average drivers! You might think that education would make us more self-aware. You’d be wrong: 88 percent of college professors rated themselves above average; 25 percent rated themselves as truly exceptional. Another survey of two hundred sociologists found that half believed they would become one of the top ten sociologists in the world. No wonder there are such conflicts around tenure and promotion.

National surveys show that we claim to feel nine years younger than we actually are, and we claim that we look five years younger than other people our age.

And the church is not exempt. George Barna did a survey of pastors—people who are paid to teach on texts like Paul’s command to the church at Rome: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.” Ninety percent of us consider ourselves above-average preachers.

And perhaps most ironic of all: when people have the concept of the self-serving bias carefully explained to them, the majority of people rate themselves as well above average in their ability to handle the self-serving bias!

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For nearly thirty years, Dr. Bill Tolar and Dr. Brian Harbour have helped thousands of Sunday School teachers prepare their lessons by means of video. Each week, they provide an insightful walk through this week's scriptures and provide concrete Bible-to-life application points for you to make with your class this Sunday. Their video lesson previews are available for both the Life and Explore Series materials. We have arranged a special one-month free trial of their videos for anyone who mentions joshhunt.com. Click here for more information or to get your free trial.

Josh Hunt believes in the power of the small group ministry in your church. And, his belief is contagious. In his new book, Make Your Group Grow, Josh presents sound application to easy to understand research that will benefit every size and style of church. Your groups and leadership will benefit from this book.